What makes red grease?

[NewAtThis]

Hello!

You all were very helpful to me a few months ago when I posted a question regarding frozen chili tasting spoiled. Thanks again for that. Here's another question!

I'm trying to reverse engineer the recipe of a certain restaurant's chili in the town I grew up in. I now live out of state and miss that place immensely! I've got a pretty good chili recipe of my own creation, but now and again, I'd like to have something that tastes remotely close to that chili back home. My attempts are getting better, with the flavor approaching that of the restaurant's chili, but here's something that bothers me:

Their chili has little dots of red (or maybe orange) grease that float to the top. I figured it was because they use ground beef (they've advertised that they use fresh ground beef). So I use 80% ground beef, browning it first after coating the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil, and my grease is more of a clear/yellow color. Is it the vegetable oil that's preventing my grease from being red, or am I using the wrong technique, or might there be an additional ingredient producing the red grease in the restaurant's chili?

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Thank you!
Steven.

[menumaker]

Hi,
I'm not sure but it could be Paprika that gives the red colour in the grease.Turmeric tends to give a yellowish Hue to Curry sauces. I don't think it is to do with the meat content. Maybe some of the other members will have suggestions that I haven't thought of .

[Andy M.]

Tomato will give you orange fat. Chili usually has at least a small amount of tomato. Some recipes have a lot. Red chilies could also add to the coloring.

[NewAtThis]

Thank you, Celtic Cook and Andy! Your answers are so helpful because they're steering me away from thoughts about adding meats and instead pointing me toward other ingredients. My recipe currently has paprika and tumeric, but no tomatoes. It also doesn't have much in the way of red chiles- just a little cayenne pepper. I was actually not going to put the paprika in my next batch, since it doesn't seem to do much for the flavor. The tumeric seems necessary as their chili is very orange (except for the red grease), and tumeric is the only thing I've found that gives me that orange color. So maybe I'll leave the paprika in it and add some tomatoes next time.

And I hope others will share their thoughts as well.

Thanks again and again!
Steven.

[Whiskadoodle]

I think chilies are releasing color and soaking into the fat content. Paprika comes from a mild pepper. It doesn't have to be meat fat. If you cooked some onion or veggies in any type of oil, this may occur.

If you don't want this, allow to cool and blot up with a paper towel when the fat comes to the surface while still warm or refrigerate completely and remove the fat layer. Reheat and serve.

[Andy M.]

I recommend you do a little research on chili recipes. This will give you some ideas for ways to duplicate the flavor.

Chili's basics are meat and chilie peppers. Mexican oregano, tomato, onion, garlic and cumin are often added. Turmeric isn't a normal ingredient in chili. Worry less about the color and more about the taste.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by NewAtThis

Thank you, Celtic Cook and Andy! Your answers are so helpful because they're steering me away from thoughts about adding meats and instead pointing me toward other ingredients. My recipe currently has paprika and tumeric, but no tomatoes. It also doesn't have much in the way of red chiles- just a little cayenne pepper. I was actually not going to put the paprika in my next batch, since it doesn't seem to do much for the flavor. The tumeric seems necessary as their chili is very orange (except for the red grease), and tumeric is the only thing I've found that gives me that orange color. So maybe I'll leave the paprika in it and add some tomatoes next time.

And I hope others will share their thoughts as well.

Thanks again and again!
Steven.

Paprika and turmeric aren't usually used in chili. Particularly turmeric.

Id suggest trying to "reverse engineer" based on flavor and texture rather than color.

[NewAtThis]

Thank you, Whiskadoodle! I will look for some mild red chilis that might give color while not imparting lots of heat. This chili shouldn't be spicy.

Thanks again, Andy! Oh the research I've done... I've done a lot, specifically on chili's derived from Mexico and Texas a century ago which is where and when this recipe originated. Tumeric is sometimes a chili ingredient and was available in that region. I've experimented with oregano and garlic, and they take the flavor in a different direction. Onion is a certainty in this recipe because I can see it, and I know cumin is in it because I can taste it. I've experimented with tomato sauce but found that it makes the broth opaque instead of the translucent nature that I'm going for. As for the color, the color is a result of the ingredients, and when I began looking at the color as a clue, things started improving. Specifically, tumeric not only bought me the orangeness I needed, but it also brought the flavor more inline as well. Unfortunately, it brought the staining capabilities as well, which is also a characteristic of the chili I'm trying to duplicate. Put a white plastic ladle in it, and you pull out an orange ladle! Ok, so that's enough explanation of what I know of chili and why I'm using what I'm using. I do really appreciate your advice, so thanks for indulging me in my wordy explanations and questions.

Steven.

[NewAtThis]

Thank you, Jennyema!

You all are so great and quick with your answers. I really appreciate that. You were so quick that my answer to Andy was half-typed when you made similar comments. Either way, I really appreciate your help. Every tip I can get from expert cooks like you is useful, and I know it will make this recipe, and my cooking skills in general, better.

Steven.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by NewAtThis

Thank you, Whiskadoodle! I will look for some mild red chilis that might give color while not imparting lots of heat. This chili shouldn't be spicy.

I would suggest chili powder rather than chili peppers. The powder is easier to work with and the flavor is more consistent. It's not hot and it is the primary flavor I associate with chili.